The entertainment industry has many uses for simulated guns, not only in the movie industry but also in theatrical performances, amusement parks, and the like. In each case, the intention is to produce simulated gunfire that appears realistic. Obviously, however, although the appearance of a flash and smoke from a barrel and possibly a loud report may be desirable, it is absolutely essential that actors working with these firearms not be injured. In some cases, particularly in the movie industry, specific shapes or profiles of guns are designed to be unlike any existing firearm. For example, in the movie "Robocop" a specific machine gun was designed for the title character to fit a futuristic plot. In other cases, the gun profiles are designed to be exact replicas of existing real firearms, thus adding reality to the scene. In fact, in many cases actual firearms are used but are equipped with blank cartridges which fire with a loud report but are supposedly harmless. In fact, however, blank cartridges fired from conventional firearms are quite dangerous at close range and have actually resulted in serious injuries to actors.
When untrained actors use real guns, they often mishandle the guns and also often miscue by firing at the wrong instant, despite the fact that the guns are loaded with blanks. In addition, pistols loaded with blanks frequently malfunction. It is not uncommon for the mechanisms that cycle brass cartridges into the firing chamber to jam because the blank cartridges are too light and do not follow the channels properly. In making a motion picture, the jamming of a gun, whether it be a pistol or a machine gun, will completely ruin a scene. Scenes are often shot several times simply because a blank gun does not fire properly.
While reducing the size of the charge in the blank cartridge may frequently cause jamming of the firearm, in some cases adequate reductions in the amount of the charge cannot be made because of functional requirements of the weapon. For example, for machine guns and semi-automatic firearms an adequate charge is required to build up approximately 18,000 psi in the barrel of the firearm in order to eject the spent cartridge and inject a new one. Coupled with the charge size, these firearms must have a very small orifice to enable this pressure to build and unlock this ejection/feed mechanism. Thus, the use of real firearms to shoot blank cartridges for the entertainment industry is neither effective nor functional.
The noise produced by firing blank cartridges also creates a problem in the entertainment industry. In most major cities, noise pollution regulations require that a weapon producing more than 80 decibels of sound cannot be fired after 10:00 p.m. New York City precludes the use of any real weapons under such circumstances. In addition, the Federal Firearms Control Act requires that a person who uses a real weapon be licensed, and also requires 24-hour security. Should film makers wish to include a shot inside a government building or state capitol building, the use of any type of real weapon is precluded. Indeed, film makers have been obligated to reproduce an entire capitol building in order to film scenes involving firearms so as to comply with the laws and not frighten members of the public.
In virtually all cases of movie making, much of the scenes involving firearms are created by editors. Despite the fact that the blank guns produce a loud report, the actual sound from the gun is never used on the film. All sounds of gunshots are added in the studio, because the sound emanating on the set does not produce the desired effect, gets in the way of the dialogue, and is distorted by the microphones. Thus, the actual sound is edited out and replaced by more suitable sound effects.
The electronic gun simulator of the invention also facilitates production of simulated bullet hits. At present, if a scene showed gun hits impacting a wall, the bullet hits are produced by wiring charges behind the wall which are then fired sequentially to create an appearance of bullets impacting the wall. The gun firing is photographed separately. Film editors then cut back and forth between the bullet hits and the gun to create an appearance that the bullet hits are caused by the gun firing. This is a time-consuming and costly process. By using the electronic gun of the invention, the bullet hits and the gun can actually be controlled from the same source. For example, both the prewired bullet hits on the wall and the gun can be controlled either by the gun (by hard-wiring the gun to the bullet hit such that an impulse created by the gun also actuates the bullet hit) or from a remote radio-controlled source. No editing would be required to achieve this effect.
Because the simulated gun of the invention is not a weapon, it does not come within any local, state, or federal laws concerning firearms. Because the noise produced by the simulated gun is virtually inaudible past about 15 feet, no problems exist with respect to noise pollution regulations. Because there are no essential moving parts to the gun, no possibilities of a mechanical jam which would necessitate refilming exist.
The simulated firearm of the invention is not limited to use in the entertainment industry. A substantial demand exists for simulated weapons of this type in military, police, and security personnel training. The combustible loads or ammunition of the invention must meet a number of criteria for successful operation of the simulated weapons. The loads must produce a flash and smoke adequate to provide the appearance of a real weapon, yet preferably produce little sound. The loads are preferably made from a thin, plastic casing to avoid the possibility of injury from metal shrapnel. The combustible portion of the load should be free from poisonous, noxious or dangerous material. The plug which retains the combustible powder in the load must be light and harmless, thereby precluding any danger whatsoever from impact of the plug on a person or animal situated close to the muzzle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide ammunition for a simulated weapon which produces a visible flash and smoke but which produces relatively little noise. It is a further object of the invention to provide ammunition for a simulated gun which is electronically actuated and which produces a harmless discharge even when fired at close range. These and other objects of the invention are achieved by the simulated weapon described herein.